Gift Officer

Description

About the Job

Colorado Christian University is hiring a full-time Gift Officer to join our University Advancement team! Reporting to the Senior Director of Major Gifts, you'll work closely with a collaborative Advancement Team to engage and grow a portfolio of approximately 150 mid-level and major donors and prospects. Your mission: cultivate meaningful relationships, inspire generosity, and help turn these supporters into highly engaged major donors.

You'll lead donor outreach, craft compelling proposals, and secure gifts of $10,000+, with a portfolio that builds to an annual fundraising goal of $1M+. You'll also serve as a key resource on complex charitable gifts and planned giving, supporting donors with estate planning strategies and philanthropic goals.

This is more than a fundraising role-it's a calling to invest in Christ-centered, biblically grounded education and shape future cultural leaders who live with grace and truth.

About CCU

Colorado Christian University is the premier interdenominational Christian university in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, delivering world-class education to thousands of students. The fully accredited, nonprofit University is located in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.

Colorado Christian University was founded in 1914. CCU's motto is--grace and truth. This motto comes from John 1.14: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (ESV)

CCU's mission is Christ-centered higher education transforming students to impact the world with grace and truth.

Colorado Christian University cultivates knowledge and love of God in a Christ-centered community of learners and scholars, with an enduring commitment to the integration of exemplary academics, spiritual formation, and engagement with the world. We envision graduates who think critically and creatively, lead with high ethical and professional standards, embody the character and compassion of Jesus Christ, treasure the gospel, and who thereby are prepared to impact the world in their callings.

CCU embraces an educational model that was present at the foundation of many of the great western and American universities. It is made up of three pillars-competence, character and Christ-centered faith. Secular universities have abandoned two of those pillars. We think this is a major oversight that eventually undermines education. Furthermore, we believe this classical educational model is both life-giving and greatly needed in our time.

A leader in higher education, CCU has been consistently ranked in the top 2 percent of colleges and universities nationwide for its core curriculum by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. CCU has had ten consecutive years of enrollment growth and has been named one of the five fastest-growing master's granting universities by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

CCU offers more than 200 degree program options for traditional and adult students through its two colleges--the College of Undergraduate Studies and College of Adult and Graduate Studies. More than 9,000 students attend the University on the main campus, throughout Colorado, and online.

Job Location

Fully on-site - must reside and work legally in the U.S. Regular work location: Lakewood, Colorado

What is most appealing about working at CCU?

1. Faith-friendly: CCU's culture is unique to higher education. Where else can you pursue academic excellence yet read the Holy Bible, pray with teammates and students at work, and work to impact our culture in support of Christian values?
2. Convictional Christian: As a university, we have an enduring commitment to Christ, his kingdom and the truth of God's Word.
3. Live out your calling: We are a traditional evangelical university where you can invest your God-given talents and abilities alongside coworkers and teammates, while having a profound influence on students as they deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. Equip students for kingdom work: You can be a part of helping students discover their callings and preparing them for positions of significant leadership in the church, business, government, education, and other professions, as a key part of our University's Strategic Priorities .

We're looking for candidates who have:

1. A bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, nonprofit leadership , or philanthropy from an accredited institution. Professional certification or master's level work is preferred.
2. Three+ years of fundraising experience. Preference for experience in an established fundraising office.
3. Experience working with senior-level executives and managing sensitive issues.
4. Knowledge of higher education organizational culture, policies, and processes is preferred.
5. Proven donor database or CRM experience.
6. Proven knowledge of a variety of business software applications, specifically Microsoft 365 products.
7. Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
8. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
9. Outstanding customer service skills and a donor-centric philosophy.
10. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to effectively prioritize projects.
11. Able to work independently and successfully with reliable, professional judgment, often under time pressure.
12. Ability to handle confidential matters with extreme discretion.
13. Collaborative team player.
14. Able to balance many priorities, sometimes with tight deadlines.

Key Job Duties

Mission Contribution

Christ-centered higher education, transforming students to impact the world with grace and truth. In this role, the Development Officer plays a key role in advancing CCU's mission by building strong relationships with donors and securing charitable contributions to support the University.

Gift Officer & Donor Relations

1. Direct efforts to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward current and prospective mid-level donors and major donors, including planned and legacy giving opportunities.
2. Manage and expand a portfolio of 150+ donors by building relationships through in-person meetings, research, and other methods. Focus on retaining donors and increasing their contributions through strategic engagement and personalized stewardship.
3. Ensure that each donor in the portfolio is actively giving at $10,000+ annually, with an annual goal of $1,000,000 or more.
4. Attend to all prescribed database practices and established systems, including contact reports, weekly donor reports, data entry, and Raiser's Edge access and operation(s).

Prospecting & Development - Mid-Tier to Major

1. Research, qualify, cultivate, and engage donor prospects to help grow CCU's donor base and the Gift Officer's portfolio.
2. Use proven Moves Management and similar development planning to identify donors with potential for increased giving, use donor-centric strategies to engage those donors, and grow the comprehensive giving of those donors toward becoming highly engaged major donors.
3. Plan regional donor travel, appointments, and relationship-building opportunities with existing donors and prospects, as approved by the Senior Director of Major Gifts.

Philanthropic Resources, Relationships, and Advising

1. Serve as a team leader to develop and manage philanthropic resources and relationships to strengthen and expand the institution's planned giving efforts and promotion of asset-based giving strategies with organizations like the National Christian Foundation, Waterstone, The Signatry, Generous Giving, and others.
2. Represent CCU and actively participate in the Christian philanthropic community and generous giving movement.
3. Attend and participate in assigned University Advancement events, meetings, and strategic opportunities.
4. Perform other duties as assigned.

Nature of Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, you may be required to walk, stand, sit, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, speak with clarity, and have appropriate vision and hearing capabilities. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Colorado Christian University expects all faculty and staff to become a part of the University community by participating in activities and events that occur on the campus throughout the year, which may occur during evenings and weekends. Supporting CCU Executive Leadership, and particularly the Office of University Advancement, requires a very high level of professionalism, confidentiality, decorum, and protocol.

What we offer our employees:

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages to all employees. Our benefit package includes: a tuition waiver program, excellent healthcare, generous paid time off, matching 403(b) retirement plan, and additional organizational paid benefits and voluntary benefit offerings. Pay and benefits will be discussed in more detail as candidates progress through the interview process. Colorado Christian University's pay philosophy is based on internal and external data for pay equity; along with budgetary considerations for effective stewardship.

Pay will be assigned based on relevant experience at a range of $75,000 - $90,000. We reserve the right to pay an equitable rate that we believe is within our salary structure or that may fit a candidate's qualifications or experience for the job. A wage range posted is not a guarantee of a specific wage range for a job offer. CCU reserves the right to make pay decisions based on economic and equity considerations to attract the best possible talent. CCU does not determine pay based on sex or any other protected status.

Application Deadline : This position will remain open until filled.

Spiritual Requirements

1. Committed follower of Jesus Christ, who believes there is no salvation apart from faith in his atonement on the cross, by grace alone becoming "born again" thus beginning a personal relationship with Christ, the Son of God.
2. Able to effectively communicate personal faith and apply biblical principles and convictions in the workplace. Must have a strong sense of calling to the ministry of Colorado Christian University.
3. Regularly attend and be engaged in meaningful involvement in a Bible-believing evangelical local church. Knowledgeable about the Word of God and passionate about Christian education.
4. Must be a traditional evangelical Christian whose lifestyle is in consonance with sound Christian principles, is compatible with CCU's Statement of Faith, and is in agreement with the Strategic Priorities promulgated by the University.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Colorado Christian University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status. CCU is committed to an environment free from discrimination and harassment and calls on every member of the university community to be vigilant in deterring and reporting all violations. CCU does reserve the right to exercise preference on the basis of religion in all of its employment practices. All employees who work at CCU must demonstrate a spiritual testimony consistent with our evangelical mission and follow our lifestyle expectations.